The present invention is related to aircraft equipment interfaces, and in particular to providing a low impedance interface for aircraft components.
Regulations require electrical resistances on the external of an aircraft remain below very low levels. During flight, aircraft are susceptible to lightning strikes. These strikes often occur, for example, by hitting the nose of the aircraft and exiting through the wing or the landing gear. Because of this, components located on the outer portions of the aircraft must have low resistances. If the resistances are not low enough to create one consistent low impedance path, charges can build up across gaps and create destructive arcing.
Traditionally, components such as sensors on the external of the aircraft were held in place by screws. This creates a single electrical connection between the unit and the body to which the unit is mounted. Because of this, the unit interface was usually coated to provide lower impedance. However, these coatings degrade over time, which causes the impedance of the interface to increase, creating a greater chance for arcing to occur. It is desirable to create an interface that provides a low impedance path between a component and a body without the necessity for coatings.